WIPO report: Japan and US leading way on 'frontier technologies'

Japan and the US are two of the leading nations driving intellectual property filings related to 3D printing and other “frontier technologies”, according to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The countries, alongside Germany, France, the UK and South Korea, have accounted for 75% of patent filings directed to 3D printing, nanotechnology and robotics in the past 20 years, WIPO claimed.

The findings were included in the organisation’s “World Intellectual Property Report 2015: Breakthrough Innovation and Economic Growth”, released today, November 11.

The report assessed the number of patent applications made in each field since 1995.

Japan is leading the way in the area of robotics and has eight out of the top ten patent applicants in the area.

Companies including Toyota, with 4,189 applications; Samsung with 3,085; Honda, with 2,231; Nissan; and Hitachi made up the top eight.

Also included in the top ten were Bosch, from Germany, and Sony from Korea.

US-based companies filed the most patents directed to both nanotechnology and 3D printing collectively, with IBM, the University of California, and HP among the top filers.

Korea-based Samsung filed the most patents directed to nanotechnology with 2,578 applications.

For 3D printing filings, 3D Systems and Stratasys were the top two applicants with 200 and 184 applications respectively. General Electric and United Technologies were also among the top ten.

Francis Gurry, director general at WIPO, said: “Historical technological breakthroughs have been at the root of long-lasting expansions in economic output.

“We need to reinforce the environments that give rise to the breakthrough technologies of tomorrow.”

The “World Intellectual Property Report” is published every two years.